1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems for managing the storage and distribution of money tills. More particularly, the invention relates to a computer-controlled system for efficiently monitoring and managing the receipt, dispensation, and secure storage of money tills, and for recording and providing related data for subsequent analysis.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Grocery stores and other retail and wholesale establishments often use cash registers and money tills to facilitate cash sales and other transactions. These cash registers are operated by cashiers who are accountable for the associated money till, typically receiving a “clean” money till at the start of work and returning a “dirty” till when finished, and being required to secure the till during breaks or other events requiring the cashier's absence from the cash register. Those with ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that it is desirable to closely manage the storage and distribution of the money tills. This is particularly true, for example, for larger businesses having a number of cashiers receiving and returning tills of varying types during the workday. It is further desirable to maintain records related to the management of the tills, including, for example, the number of times each employee received and deposited a particular till or till type and the amount of time each employee was in receipt thereof.
Currently, at least one additional employee, typically a manager or other supervisor, must be involved in receiving and dispensing tills to provide access to the cash office or other storage area and to record the transaction. This can create substantial and costly inefficiency, particularly where the second employee has additional duties and the cashier must wait to receive or turn in a till. Also, unnecessary risks are created because the cashier waiting with an exposed till is a particularly vulnerable target for thieves. Furthermore, such frequent opening of the cash office to perform till transactions jeopardizes security and control of the cash kept therein.
Additionally, it is well-known in the art that great potential for abuse exists in traditional employee time-keeping systems and methods where employees are asked to police themselves and keep accurate records of their own work start, work stop, and break times. For example, a cashier preparing for a break might be tempted, after turning in his or her till, to use the restroom, purchase a snack or drink, and walk to the break area before considering the break to have begun. Likewise, the employee might wait to use the restroom or wash their hands after considering the break to have ended but before retrieving the till. The difference between the time allowed for break and the time actually taken between turning in and retrieving the till represents time and money lost by the employer. Furthermore, though it is desirable to be aware of and maintain historical records of employees' productive time, no objective or reliable system, other than traditional time-card-based systems, exists for distinguishing productive time from wasted time or identifying abuse.
Because existing till management and time-tracking systems allow for or create inefficiency, increased theft risks, and employee abuse, a need exists for an improved till management system, preferably incorporating an ability to objectively and reliably track employee productivity.